Thursday 16th August- C2 ward MOAS II +2 days.

Now settled into the twin High Dependency room in C2 ward Tracey came to visit me first thing in the morning. I said that I felt well but was very tired as I had not slept well. I was also coughing up mucus which is quite normal after the operation and you are encouraged to do so as part of the physiotherapy programme in order to help clear the chest. This can be uncomfortable and you are encouraged to hug a pillow in order to support your abdomen. As I was so tired Tracey only stayed for a short while and then left me to sleep.

She returned at 13:00hrs. There was a bit more activity around me and the doctors had advised that they were unhappy with the left side of my chest as my breath sounds were quieter. My blood oxygen levels were also low so they decided to put me on oxygen to supplement my blood levels. The decision had also been made to stop my post operation chemotherapy treatment. Apparently my liver function was being affected by the chemo and it was best to stop it. Was this worrying? Not sure really. The benefits of post op chemotherapy are not really known. Interestingly talking to a Christies patient they were not offered post operative chemo at all. I had also been booked in for a chest X-ray for later that day.

 All of this was stressing Tracey out a bit and we had a long and very helpful conversation with Vicky the specialist nurse that we both appreciated very much.

 At 18:30hrs I went down for my X-ray.

Tracey arrived again to visit at 19:30hrs. I was back from X-ray and feeling hot, it was one of the hottest days of the summer with temperatures reaching the late 20’s Celsius. Luckily there was a Dyson bladeless fan next to my bed which we turned on ( and actually stayed on 24hrs a day for the next week or so).

Tracey asked Sarah the nurse who was looking after me if the X-ray results were back? She told us that they were but the doctors had all left for the day. My blood oxygen levels had returned to normal with the oxygen mask that I was now wearing helping me along. I was also due to start on the Heperine again at 22:00hrs. I was not really using the PCA to administer any Morphine as I was not in any pain.

 It had been a busy and noisy day. Again I had struggled to sleep and was now very tired. Whilst I was not suffering with any hallucinations I was suffering the effects of all the drugs that I was on. When I closed my eyes even to blink I saw bright psychedelic colours flashing before me, images of faces and animals, vivid dreams and the mind seemed to be racing at one hundred miles per hour which made it difficult to drop off to sleep. Tracey left me at 21:30hrs to try and get some rest.